Recently, I was in London for SAS Innovate on Tour, where I talked to customers, partners and tech enthusiasts about how SAS can help you be more productive with data and AI technology.
The event was incredible, but it was the venue that truly blew me away. Kings Place, located in the Kings Cross area of London, typically hosts classical or jazz concerts and is known for its state-of-the-art acoustics.
I had only been there a day or so when I learned that, years ago, Prince had held a surprise concert on the exact same stage where I was to deliver my own presentation.
Yes, THAT Prince. He of “Purple Rain” and “Artist Formerly Known As” fame.
Now, you’re probably thinking that a Prince show – where he apparently performed several acoustic versions of his songs before launching into a two-hour jam session with purple lighting and fog machines – might be slightly different from my presentation on More Productive Data and AI, and you wouldn’t be wrong.
Although we did have some cool demos.
But that got me thinking… COULD there be overlaps between Prince and a presentation on data and AI? Are they truly that different?
To determine this, let’s run an experiment. Take a look at each line below and decide whether it’s a Prince lyric… or a quote from my More Productive Data and AI script.
Dearly beloved, you’re about to be stumped. Here we go…
“It’s time we all reach out for something new.”
Technically, this could be my way of encouraging the audience to implement one of our SAS Models or start coding with SAS® Viya® Workbench. But no. This one’s from “Purple Rain.”
“It’s all about versatility.”
Is this Prince referencing his ability to play more than 25 different instruments? Not even close. This was me explaining how the SAS portfolio can help you achieve your goals regardless of industry. Mic drop.
“Here we are, folks.”
This one’s tricky because there’s an excellent chance I’ve said these exact words at one point or another – but not in my Innovate on Tour script. You win if you guessed it’s from Prince’s “U Got the Look.”
“Suddenly, a whole new world of opportunity opens up.”
A line from “What Doves Cry?” Not this time! Instead, it’s about having a world of opportunities open up thanks to SAS Viya Copilot in Model Studio.
“Oops, out of time.”
Okay, to be fair, there probably have been moments when my presentation ran a little long on stage. But not THIS time. It’s all Prince – and now there’s an excellent chance you’ll have “1999” stuck in your head for the rest of the day.
Okay, so what did we learn from this exercise? Maybe that data and AI can be just as fun and lyrical as a Prince hit? Or maybe not.
But at least we’re not partying like it’s 1999.